In the United States, one person dies every 34 seconds due to cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of these deaths result from heart attacks. An estimated 805,000 people each year have a heart attack, the vast majority of which are first heart attacks.
Unfortunately, in some tragic cases, these heart attacks are misdiagnosed as other conditions or are simply not diagnosed at all. This can result in delayed treatment, which can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences.
If you or someone you love was harmed by a failure to diagnose a heart attack, Gill Ports Hoste LLC is here to help. Our small firm provides the personalized support you deserve. We use our 90+ years of collective experience to deliver top-notch legal services even in complex claims.
Call us today to schedule your free consultation and learn more about how our Chicago heart attack misdiagnosis lawyers can help you.
Common reasons for heart attack misdiagnosis
Doctors misdiagnose heart attacks for many reasons. Some of the most common include:
- Atypical symptoms: When patients don’t present with the classic symptoms, heart attacks can be missed. This is an especially common issue with patients who don’t fit the profile of typical heart attack victims, such as women and younger people.
- Diagnostic error: When test results are not interpreted properly, such as errors in reading an EKG, this could lead to misdiagnosis.
- Incomplete patient information: If a healthcare provider fails to collect the essential information from a patient, such as a full medical history or a detailed history of symptoms, they are more likely to make an incorrect diagnosis.
If a misdiagnosis occurs because of a provider’s negligence, the provider — and sometimes their employer — can be held liable for the resulting harm. The specific professional obligation of a doctor is based on that doctor’s professional specialty, so a cardiologist would be expected to be less likely to misdiagnose a heart attack than a primary care doctor.
A heart attack misdiagnosis lawyer at Gill Ports Hoste LLC can help you determine if a care provider’s failure to diagnose your heart attack could lead to a medical malpractice claim.
How a medical malpractice lawyer can help after a heart attack misdiagnosis
If a medical care provider failed you, you should be entitled to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and wrongful death damages. The doctor’s malpractice insurer should pay for your losses, or, in some cases, the hospital or clinic that employed the negligent doctor can also be held liable and made to pay for damages.
However, you must navigate the justice system and prove your claim — and that means you need the right legal support. An experienced malpractice lawyer can help you by:
- Gathering evidence: Gill Ports Hoste LLC will obtain your medical records, witness testimony, and other crucial evidence showing how your medical care provider fell short.
- Identifying defendants: We’ll work to help you identify all parties who could be responsible for damages to maximize the chances of recovering full compensation.
- Negotiating a settlement: Medical malpractice insurers know we don’t back down when we’re fighting for our clients, and we’ve stood up to some of the biggest hospitals in Illinois. Our rock-solid reputation as tough negotiators helps maximize your chances of settling out of court for an amount that provides full and fair compensation.
- Litigation in court: Our skilled trial attorneys have recovered multi-million dollar court verdicts for malpractice victims. While your case determines your outcome and compensation, we can put together the most compelling claim possible.
Getting help from a heart attack misdiagnosis lawyer
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need legal help after you or someone you love suffered harm due to a care provider’s failures. Call the Chicago heart attack misdiagnosis lawyers today at Gill Ports Hoste LLC to learn how we can fight for you.